Psalm 67
"God be gracious to us and bless us,
And cause His face to shine upon us -
That Thy way may be known on the earth, Thy salvation among all nations." (verses 1-2)

It is by Your grace and blessing upon us, as You shine Your Light upon us, that others see You.  How can they know unless someone tells them?  How can they be saved unless they come to know You?
You are our salvation! "Let the people praise Thee, O God!" We praise You and worship You! Holy God, Wonderful Savior.  Be gracious to us this day, filling us with Your Holy Spirit, that we might walk in Your Light and be the light that You call us to become. Shine on us and through us today.  We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen

Genesis 48-50  Before Jacob/Israel dies he meets with his son Joseph and formally adopts Ephraim and Manasseh as his own.  This is significant later when they are considered individual tribes of Israel.  Jacob blesses the younger son over above the eldest.  Jacob, who took his brother Esau's blessing, knew that God does what He desires, listened to God's voice and obeyed.
Jacob then summoned all of his sons together and offered individual words to each one.  They are called "blessings", but some hardly seem to be blessed!
Reuben is the first-born.  He is said to be preeminent in dignity and power, but because of his sin against Jacob, taking Bilhah and defiling her, Reuben loses the right to have preeminence over the family.
Simeon and Levi are grouped together.  They also lose the honor of leadership because of their sin of anger and violence. They killed the men of Shechem after the incident with their sister Dinah.
Judah, the 4th born,  takes the position of honor. "Your father's sons shall bow down to you." Israel foretells.  "The scepter shall not depart from Judah".   He is compared to a lion.  His garments are dyed by the grapes - purple, royal robes.
Zebulun is mentioned, though, he is not next in birth order.( he is actually the 10th of all of the sons, the 6th that Leah bore).   He will inhabit the seashore.  ( But this did not happen when the nation returned to the promised land.)
Issachar, the 9th son of Jacob, the 5th that Leah bore, is mentioned next.  He is called a "strong donkey" and  "a slave".   Not much of a blessing in my opinion!
Dan is the 5th in birth order, the first born to Bilhah ( Rachel's maid).   He is called a "judge" of his people.  But he is also called a serpent.
Gad is 7th in birth order, the first of  Zilpah's  ( Leah's maid) children.  He is a raider who will get raided.
Asher is 8th in order, the second son of Zilpah.   He will have rich food and "yield royal dainties."
Naphtali, 6th is order, is the 2nd son of Bilhah is called a "doe let loose".  He "gives beautiful words".
Joseph is 11 in order.  He is called a "fruitful bough".  He receives a true blessing.  "From the God of Your father who helps you, and by the Almighty who blesses you with blessings of heaven above...."
Joseph is to be "distinguished among his brothers."
Benjamin, the youngest, is called a "ravenous wolf".  He devours prey but divides the spoil.

Jacob makes his sons promise to take his body back to Canaan to be buried and then he dies.
Joseph asks permission to take his father's body back and is granted that, plus a huge company goes with him, including all his brothers and many Egyptians.
After they return to Egypt, Joseph lives to be 110 years old.  We are told that he was able to see the 3rd generation of Ephraim's sons - great-great-great -grandsons?  Wow.  He also makes his brothers promise to take his body back home to Canaan.  He then dies and is embalmed and placed in an Egyptian coffin.

This is the end of Genesis.  The beginning of creation.  The beginning of the nation of Israel.   Generations of mankind march forward through history, God's Hand sorting and leading, setting apart specific men for His purposes.  He was at work then, as He is now,  choosing men to be His servants, His people.  There are so many questions that we have.  So little we understand the ways of God.
But, like the psalmist, we can say, "Let the peoples praise Thee, O God" for it is You that blesses us.  It is You that brings salvation to the nations.  This unfolding of Your plan of salvation is just the beginning!  Thank You for giving us Your Word.  Teach us to trust You and walk as Jacob walked, before "The God who has been my shepherd all my life."